Samford communication and media professor Clay Carey has earned an Alabama Media Professionals Media Award in the category of Faculty Adviser of Student Publication, Station or Site.

Alabama Media Professionals (AMP,) the state’s affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, honored Carey’s work with The Local student magazine, which earned First Place in Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) competition in March. Many of the magazine's staff earned SEJC awards for their individual contributions, and the advising honor for Carey adds an important element of recognition.

Carey, a veteran reporter and editor before joining Samford’s faculty, teaches courses in print and online journalism, including introductory and advanced writing classes, visual storytelling, and the practicum classes that produce The Local. His academic research focuses on cultural studies of media, specifically the impacts of stereotypes and the roles media play in the formation and maintenance of individual and group identity. He is the author of the award-winning book The News Untold: Community Journalism and the Failure to Confront Poverty in Appalachia, and often speaks on the topic of journalism in rural communities.